Mail-chute.



F. B. CODK.

MAIL CHUTE.

RENEWED MAY 28, 1918.

APPLICATION FILED 0V. 5,1915.

Patented Feb. 11

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Application filed November 5, 1915, Serial No. 59,820. Renewed May 28, 1918.

' an snares PATENT carton.

FREDERICK B.- COOK, on NEW YORK, n. Y.

, T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK B. Coon,

V a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, in the city,

county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improve- ,mm in Mail-Chutes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in and relating to mail chutes having redisassembled in sections when desired, to enable the same to be repaired or to remove mail caught therein. A further object is to provide such a chute which will be practically burglar-proof, and which will, when tampered with, become more firmly locked.

, A still further objectis to provide such a Y chute which is simple in construction, and

which is more efiicient than such mail chutes previously in use.

With these and other objects in view, my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, and will be hereinafter more fully described and finally pointed out in the. claims.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a front elevation of a mail chute embodying my invention:

Fig. 2, is a section thereof taken on the line aa of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a portion of the chute with the front wall removed;

Fig. 4: is a rear elevation of a portion of the front wall;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a jamb with the front wall attached;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a modified form of construction; and Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a still further modified form of construction.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 and Qthereof, a contin- I nous channel comprising a rear portion 10,

side portions 11 and 12 bent forwardly at right angles therefrom and having a slight resiliency, is provided at the forward ends of thesaid side portions with inwardly'bent forward portions 13 and 14 at each side of Specification of Letters Patent.

. MAIL-GHUTE.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

Serial No. 237,174.

the said chute, having their ends 15 and 16 forwardly bent to engage the glass panel of'the front wall, as hereinafter described. The edges of the said bent forward portions are beveled rearwardly and outwardly from their inner surfaces, as at 16', so that when any pressure is exerted on the front wall, there will always be a tight joint bet-ween the said wall and the said bent forward portions at the inner surfaces of the latter. Channel members 17 and 18 are soldered, electrically welded, or otherwise suitably secured to the said forward portions, the inner faces of the said channel members being inclined outwardly and forwardly, and the forward faces being provided with a plurality of openings 19 spaced longitudinally thereof. A top piece and cornice 20 are provided at the upper end of the said chute, a base 21 is provided at the lower end there of, and the front wall completes the same. The said wall is preferably formed in two sections each provided with a plate glass panel 22, and when these sections are secured in place on the chute a locking bar 23 is placed between the same for preventing removal thereof.

The frame of the front wall comprises metal strips 24 and 25 of substantially U- shape in cross-section, but having the inner leg of the U shorter than the other. and provided with a flanged portion 26 projecting inwardly at right angles therefrom, and

is inclosed within a sheet-metal shell 27 which extends around the end of the outer portion'of the said strip, and is inclined forwardly and inwardly to the same, as at 27 The said shell extends outwardly and rearwardly from the inner portion to form a channel 28 to receive the edge of the plate glass panel .22; when the front wall is in place, the said, channels 28, or rather their rear walls, are covered by the forward portions 13 and 14: of the chute. Downwardly and rearwardly projecting hooked portions 35 are struck from the said strips 24 and 25 in spaced relation along the said walls and engage the openings 19 of the channel member 17 and 18, thereby securing the front walls to the chute and permitting removal thereof by upward movement of the said front walls. The said hooked portions are slightly inclined from the said members 24 and 25, so that their inner faces engage the said jambs and form a gradually tightening joint, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. This joint is so formed that, under ordinary circumstances, the hooked portions do not rest on the bottom edges of the apertures 19, but when any undue pressure is exerted on the front walls either down wardly or rearwardly, they will, instead of becoming loose, gradually become tighter. In case the front wall is pressed rearwardly, this will bring the vertical ends of the hooks 35 slightly out of engagement with the adjacent faces of the channel members or jambs 17, 1S, and the weight of the front wall will then tend to bring it down to'such an extent as to cause the inclined port-ions of the hooks 35 to engage the bottom edges of the openings 19 and produce a wedge action to force the front wall rearwardly into tighter engagement with said jambs. The resiliency of the forward portions 13 and of the inclined portion 27 of the shell 27 permits this. The removable locking bar 23 engages the lower end of the upper front wall and the upper end. of the lower front wall, thereby locking the same in position. A horizontal bar 29 is provided at the upper end of the upper wall, which engages the top portion 20, and a bar 30 is provided at the lower end of the lower wall, which engages the base 21. A suitable drop-opening 31 for insertion of mail in the chute is preferably provided in the lower wall below the locking bar.

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 6, the rear portions of the channel members or jambs 17 and 18 are extended to the outer edges of the chute to form semi-circular resilient members 32, and the shells inclosing the outer portions of the U-shaped bent rearwardly inwardly and forwardly at their ends to form channels 34:, which, like the members 15, 16 of Figs. 1 to 6, cover the rear walls of the glass engaging channels of the shells 27 and the joints of Said rear walls with the jambs 17, 18. It will be seen that with these constructions, all engaging parts are resilient, so that close joints are maintained, both at the inner and outer surfaces of the chute, at the inner surface for preventing cracks in which mail might be obstructed, and at the outer surface for preventing the entrance of chisels, jimmies, or other such tools that might be used to force the chute open. Those parts of the chutewhich are intended to remain in position when the front wall is removed, may be included under the term body.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory forms of my invention, but it is obvious that changes may be made therein within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim 1. An improved mail-chute, comprising a rear wall, side walls extending forwardly therefrom, forward portions extending inwardly from said side walls, a front wall comprising a frame and a panel permanently mounted therein, said front wall being removable from said forward portions to obtain access to the interior of the chute, and resilient portions bent forwardly from thesaid forward portions adapted to engage the inner side of the said panel of the front wall.

2. An improved mail-chute, comprising a rear wall, side walls extending forwardly therefrom, forward portions extending inwardly from said side walls, a front wall comprising a frame, and ,a panel permanently mounted therein, said front Wall being removable from said forward portions to obtain access to the interior of the chute, and resilient portions bent forwardly from said forward portions, each provided with a beveled edge adapted to engage the inner side of the said panel of the front Wall said beveled edge adapted to maintain knife edge engagement with the interior side of said glass panel, upon pressure being applied at the outer side thereof. f

3. An improved mail chute, comprising a rear wall, side walls bent forwardly there from, forward portions bent inwardly from the said side walls, resilient jam'bs provided on the said forward port-ions, a front wall adapted to engage the said forward portions, and to frictionally engagethe said resilient jambs, and resilient portions bent forwardly from the said forward portions adapted to engage the inner side of the said front wall.

i. An improved mail chute, comprising a rear wall, side walls bent forwardly therefrom, forward portions bent inwardly from the said side walls, resilient jambs provided on the said forward portions, having spaced openings longitudinally thereof, a front wall comprising side members re siliently engaging the said forward portions and provided with hooked portions adapted to frictionally engage the said openings of the said jambs to secure, the front wall in place on the chute, and a glass panel carried between said side members, and resilient portions bent forwardly from the said forward portions adapted to engage the inner side of the said glass panel.

5. An improved mail chute, comprising a rear wall, side walls bent forwardly therefrom, forward portions bent inwardly from the said side walls, resilient jambs provided on the said forward portions, having spaced openings longitudinally thereof, a front wall comprising side members resiliently engaging the said forward portions and provided with rearwardly inclined hooked portions adapted to frictionally engage in a gradually tightening manner the said openings of the said jambs to secure the front wall in place on the chute, and a glass panel carried between said side members, and resilient portions bent forwardly from the said forward portions adapted to engage the inner side of the said glass panel.

6. An improved mail chute, comprising a rear wall, side walls extending forwardly therefrom, forward portions extending inwardly from said side walls, jambs on said forward portions, a front wall comprising a frame with side channels adapted to be fitted between said jambs and a panel fitted into said channels, and resilient portions connected with said forward portions and having forwardly facing edges engaging said panel between the said channels.

7. An improved mail chute comprising a body provided with spaced jambs at its forward portion, and with resilient portions extending inwardly with respect to said jambs and having forwardly-facing edges, and a front wall comprising a panel adapted for engagement by said edges, and a frame provided with side channels adapted to receive the sides of said panel and to be fitted between said jambs, the rear members of each channel lying between the corresponding jamb and the panel-engaging edge of the adjacent resilient portion.

8. An improved mail chute comprising a body provided with spaced jambs at its for ward portion, and with resilient portions extending inwardly with respect to said jambs and having forwardly-facing edges, and a front wall comprising a panel and a frame with side channels adapted to em brace the sides of said panel and to fit between said jambs, the rear member of each channel engaging the rear face of the panel between the corresponding jamb and the panel-engaging edge of the adjacent resilient portion.

9. An improved mail chute comprising a body provided with spaced j ambs at its forward portion, a front wall comprising a panel and a frame having side channels embracing the sides of said panel and fitting between said jambs and members extending inwardly at the rear of said jambs and channels and covering the joints between the jambs and the respective channels.

10. An improved mail chute comprising a body provided with spaced jambs at its for ward portion, a front wall comprising a panel and a frame having side channels embracing the sides of said panel and fitting between said jambs, and members extending inwardly at the rear of said jambs and channels and covering the joints between the jambs and the respective channels, said covering members engaging the panel between said channels.

11. An improved mail chute comprising a body provided with spaced jambs at its forward portion, a front wall fitted between said jambs, and resilient members on said body, extending inwardly and having forwardly-facing edges which engage the rear face of said front wall, said edges being beveled rearwardly) and outwardly from their inner surfaces.

12. An improved mail chute comprising a body provided with spaced jambs the inner surfaces of which converge rearwardly, a front wall having members fitted between said converging surfaces, and portions extending inwardly on the body in the rear of said front wall and covering the joints be tween the front wall and the ambs.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK B. COOK.

\Vitnesses F. Hose, JOHN SoHWARz.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

